Switch up your monthly TBR with some of the most anticipated reads coming out from emerging new voices. These books offer fresh perspectives on identity, family, and the wonders of nature. If you’re a reader who loves to discover new gems before the hype, any of these recent and upcoming debut books might just lead to your next favourite author. Get ready to unlock a new reading adventure!
For early readers
I Sure Do by Charles Demers, illustrated by Dorothy Leung (Tradewind Books)
I Sure Do is a heartwarming picture book that captures the unconditional, silly, and steadfast affection a parent has for their child. This debut children’s book from comedian and popular CBC Radio contributor Charles Demers is a tender reminder that through every season and every hour, a parent’s love grows stronger. Perfect for bedtime reads for ages 4-8, I Sure Do is a sweet and enduring testament to the greatest love of all.
June 15, 2026; available for pre-order
The Water You’re Swimming In by Rachel Schwartz Fagan (Orca Book Publishers)
Things haven’t been the same since Noah’s older brother Jamie ran away to Halifax, leaving only a note behind. While Noah’s parents spend most of their time scrambling to try to find Jamie, Noah is left trying to mask his anxiety and grief by pretending to be the perfect son who does everything right. Life begins to look up when a swim competition is announced with the grand prize being a trip to Halifax; Noah returns to swimming with an intention to win it so he can go to Halifax himself—and get Jamie back.
Out now
chi miigwech/big thank you by astra márta, illustrated by Jordan Stranger (Orca Book Publishers)
Learn all about gratitude in Anishinaabe culture with chi miigwech/big thank you, a light, fun, illustrated read for young readers. Readers are invited to give thanks for a range of concepts, including the natural world, basic human needs, feelings and experiences, and the Seven Grandfathers Teachings (Seven Sacred Teachings). This book is a great accessible way to introduce Indigenous cultures and languages to readers ages 4-8.
Out now
Fiction
White Noise by Taran Kootenhayoo (Talonbooks)
Writer Taran Kootenhayoo enters the publishing scene with a splash with their debut White Noise. In this blistering comedy, two neighbouring families, one Indigenous and one white, dine together during Truth and Reconciliation Week. As topics of cultural misunderstanding, colonial violence, and racism surface, the characters must grapple with these important, uncomfortable conversations. Kootenhayoo brings to light the question of accountability and how to make a change that is both emotionally intense and an outrageously hilarious exploration of what it means to live in so-called Canada.
Out now
Memoir
Selma Burke: Carving a Sculptor’s Life by Caroline Russell-King and Maria Crooks (Talonbooks)
Selma Burke recounts the incredible life of African American sculptor Dr. Selma Hortense Burke, who lived from 1900 to 1995. Throughout her career, Dr. Burke chronicled many of the extraordinary and devastating events of the past century in her outstanding work, including the Harlem Renaissance and the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Those new to her story will uncover Burke’s persistence in artmaking in the face of a society that didn’t always recognize her talents, a husband who demolished her work, and a government who stole it.
Out now
Environmental nonfiction
Dead Bees Still Sting: Tales of Life at the Edge of Nature by Susan Cormier (Greystone Books)
Beekeeper-poet Susan Cormier tends a small acreage alive with wild and domestic animals, half a million honeybees, and fruit trees. Over five seasons, Cormier reflects on beauty and grief, loss and renewal, and the often heart-wrenching realities of farm life in Dead Bees Still Sting. Featuring an endearing cast of animals from cats and dogs to deer, mink, and owls, this book also offers a rich education in beekeeping—hive dynamics, swarm capture, and the real threats facing bees today. Readers will fall in love with this moving meditation on the cycles of nature, vulnerability, persistence, and survival.
May 19, 2026; available for pre-order